Anyway...today at the V&A they held "Swishing party" where everyone was encouraged to bring an old vintage find that they didn't wear anymore and exchange it for something they liked the look of!! The queue was extensive and with everyone clutching their raffle ticket ready to pounce I got a little scared heehee!!

To begin with we got tickets for a lovely lecture by Elizabeth Laskar about "restyling your wardrobe", which turned into a little clothes tips session as well as a great overview of her interpretations of ethical fashion, why the Ethical Fashion Forum is a great way for like minded people to connect and what is being done by small designers that is slowly making the fashion industry rethink their 'fast fashion' attitudes! She was lovely and even allowed us to ask a few questions relating to our Forum for the Future project!!

Afterwards Katie went off to swap her wares and me and Ivan went to explore two rooms that had been dedicated to bespoke tailors from some Saville Row stores, they openly spoke to us about the aesthetic preference to fabrics over their ethical stance...although as a suit stays in peoples wardrobes for decades is it sustainable from a longevity stance?!

ABOUT ME

Zoe Grace Fletcher

Manchester/ London/ Bolton, England

Currently undertaking a PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University within the MIRIAD post-graduate department, I am beginning a practice based academic journey into British wool fibres and new technologies within knitwear design.
Graduating with Distinction from a Masters in Fashion and the Environment at London College of Fashion, specialising in hand-knitting and the British Wool Industry,
I have worked on a number of knitwear collections (personal and external companies), whilst freelancing and researching for a number of exciting projects.
My work revolves around the idea of sustainable fashion from a knitted perspective and the different ways to achieve this incorporating the ideas of slow fashion into mainstream society.
I love knitting.
And wool.
And double sided sticky tape.